Packaging system and method

ABSTRACT

A packaging system for goods, having a box ( 1 ) for holding the goods, the box having four side walls ( 11   a - d ), a front face ( 12 ) and a rear face ( 16 ); the front face has a wall provided with a window ( 15 ); the rear face has an opening; the packaging system further has either (i) a plastic film ( 6 ) wrapped around the box, the plastic film covering the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retaining the goods within the box; or (ii) at least one band placed around the box, the at least one band being placed around the box so as to encircle the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retain the goods within the box; and the opening in the rear face is configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls and after the plastic film or the at least one band has been removed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packaging of goods, in particular consumer goods such as food, drink, toiletries, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known packaging systems use a box or a tray made of cardboard (corrugate), a plastic film, or a combination thereof. If combined, the box or tray usually supports the goods, while the plastic film is provided around the box or tray containing the goods.

One known technique uses a heat shrink film, which is provided around goods and a tray and then treated in a heat tunnel. The heat shrink film shrinks and tightens around the goods and the tray. However, the use of a heat tunnel is expensive, especially in terms of energy consumption. With certain types of goods (such as aerosols stored in pressurized containers) there is a substantial risk of explosion. With other types of goods such as food, there are food safety limitations, e.g. food safety risk of chilled or frozen foods passing through the heat tunnel, or Quality limitations, e.g. heat spoilage of foods or packaging.

An alternative approach is to pack goods inside a box. Such boxes are usually made of cardboard. To be sufficiently resilient, and to prevent failure of the box while the goods are held within the box, the cardboard of the boxes has to be sufficiently thick. The boxes usually have full walls, with no openings in order to protect the goods from damage and to protect them from falling out of the box. The boxes are glued and/or taped together to prevent them from disassembling or falling apart. Such packaging may consume a great deal of cardboard.

Unpacking such a conventional box usually requires the box to be opened by hand, which usually involves cutting the tape which holds the box shut. Then, the goods have to be taken out of the box and shelved one by one. This makes the opening and unpacking process inefficient, especially in a case where many small items are to be shelved, because it takes a great deal of worker's time. This may be disadvantageous especially when dealing with frozen food, because apart from the time a worker needs to shelf the items, it also increases the time the freezer has to be opened, thus contributing to higher energy consumption.

As mentioned above, trays are wrapped in heat shrink plastic film. Unpacking of a conventional tray covered in heat shrink plastic film is also time consuming and inefficient. A further drawback is the need to cut the film using a knife or a similar sharp instrument. This is dangerous from the health and safety point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In first aspect of the invention, a packaging system for goods is provided, the packaging system for goods comprising a box for holding the goods, the box having four side walls, a front face and a rear face; wherein the front face comprises a wall provided with a window; wherein the rear face comprises an opening; wherein the packaging system further comprises either (i) a plastic film wrapped around the box, the plastic film covering the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retaining the goods within the box; or (ii) at least one band placed around the box, the at least one band being placed around the box so as to encircle the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retain the goods within the box; and wherein the opening in the rear face is configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls and after the plastic film or the at least one band has been removed.

In embodiments of the first aspect of the invention, one may include one or more of the following features:

-   -   the rear face opening extends fully to the side walls of the         box;     -   the rear face opening is defined by the side walls of the box;     -   a lip projects partially across the rear face opening from a         side wall of the box, the lip being configured to deflect         outwardly when goods are being pushed out of the box;     -   the rear face opening extends across more than 70% of the area         of the rear face;     -   the packaging further comprises a tray adapted to support the         goods, and wherein when the packaging is assembled, the tray is         located in the box;     -   the box is made of cardboard;     -   the film is a pre-stretch film;     -   the tray is made of plastics;     -   the tray is made from rPET;     -   the tray comprises a back wall and a bottom plate, and wherein         the back wall is configured to be inclined with respect to a         horizontal surface which supports the tray.

In second aspect of the invention, a packaging method is provided, the packaging method using a box and either a plastic film, or at least one band, the box having four side walls, a front face comprising a window, and a rear face comprising an opening, the opening in the rear face being configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls, and the method comprising: positioning the goods in the box through the rear face opening so that the goods stored in the tray face the opening in the front face of the box; and either (i) wrapping the box in at least one layer of the plastic film so that the plastic film at least partially covers the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retains the goods within the box, or (ii) placing the at least one band around the box so that the at least one band encircles the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retains the goods within the box.

In embodiments of the second aspect of the invention, one may include one or more of the following features:

-   -   the plastic film is provided with perforations along one of the         side walls of the box;     -   the goods are stored in a tray;     -   the tray is made of plastic.

In third aspect of the invention, a method of unpacking goods from a package formed of a box and either a plastic film or at least one band, wherein the goods are positioned inside the box, the box having four side walls, a front face comprising a wall provided with a window, and a rear face comprising an opening, the opening in the rear face being configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls, wherein the plastic film has been wrapped around the box, and wherein either (i) the plastic film comprises perforations along one of the side walls, or (ii) the at least one band has been placed around the box, the method comprising: locating the perforations and breaking the film by pulling the film apart along the perforations and removing the film from the box, or cutting the band; placing a hand or a tool through the window in the front face; pushing the goods through the opening in the rear side of the box.

In an embodiment of the third aspect of the invention, the goods are stored in a tray, and the method comprises pushing the tray containing the goods through the rear face opening of the box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b are perspective views of a box which forms part of a packaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a foldable blank which may be used to make the box of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3a and 3b depict a tray which may be used with the box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a box wrapped in a plastic film according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 5a and 5b are flow charts illustrating methods of packing and unpacking the goods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-4 depict one embodiment of a packaging system according to the present invention. The packaging system according to this embodiment comprises three parts: a box 1, a tray 2 and a plastic film 6.

The box 1, shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b , is preferably made of cardboard. Alternatively, the box 1 may be made of kraft paper, suitable plastic material, polystyrene, wood, carton board, folding box board, or any suitable case material (case material being the collective term for all layers making up a corrugated box). However, use of cardboard is preferred because of its low cost and good mechanical properties.

The box 1 has four side walls 11 a-d, a front face 12 and a rear face 16. The front face 12 of the box 1 has a window 15. In the example shown in the Figures, the window 15 is rectangular. However, the window 15 may take any suitable shape, e.g. according to the shape of the box 1 (as explained below). In the illustrated embodiment, the window 15 is at the centre of the front face 12, but the window 15 may be provided at a non-central location. The rear face 16 of the box 1 comprises an opening. The rear face 16 is preferably empty, i.e. there is no wall on the rear face 16 at all. Such arrangement is beneficial because it allows easy discharge of the goods 5 stored in the box 1, as described below. This arrangement also keeps costs at minimum.

Alternatively, the rear face 16 may be substantially empty, i.e. the rear face 16 may have one or more flaps or lips. Such flaps or lips may or may not be attached to each other. The flaps or lips may be only attached to the box 1 along the edge of the rear face 16. For example, the rear face may comprise an opening which covers more than 70%, more than 80% or more than 90% of the area of the rear face 16. Providing the flaps or lips may strengthen the box 1 and enhance its capability to hold and transport goods. It may also improve stability of the boxes 1 when a box is positioned on top of another box. As further detailed below, the boxes 1 are preferably oriented with the rear face 16 downwards during transport and handling. In such case, the flaps or lips of the top box engage the front face 12 of the bottom box, and the boxes may be more stable. In case the boxes are not oriented with the rear face 16 downwards, the flaps or lips can prevent the adjacent side wall of the box from deforming (bending) inwardly, and therefore may reinforce the box.

However, providing the flaps or lips also increases costs of the material of which the box 1 is made, and may adversely affect the easy discharge of the goods 5 stored in the box 1 (described below). When the goods 5 are oriented with their front face facing the front face 12 of the box 1, and their side faces facing the side walls 11 a, 11 c, then the flaps or lips are preferably provided only on the two side walls 11 a, 11 c. This arrangement reduces the adverse effect of the flaps or lips to the unpacking of the goods 5.

In the below-described example, the four side walls 11 a-d are rectangular. However, the side walls may be of any other shape, e.g. square. The side walls may be more or less than four, e.g. three or five. Therefore, any desired shape of the box (for example triangular box, hexagonal box etc.) may be obtained.

The box 1 may be formed by folding a foldable blank 10 along the lines shown in FIG. 2. A tab 14 a at one end of the blank 10 is glued or otherwise attached to the edge 14 b of the sidewall 11 d at the opposite end of the blank to form a partly assembled box 1. Once the tab 14 a is glued to the edge 14 b, the box 1 can be stored in a partly assembled but still flat state, without engaging flaps 13 a-d (described below) and without fully forming the box. The box 1 can be formed into its fully assembled state immediately before use.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the side walls 11 a-d are provided with flaps 13 a-d. The flaps 13 a-d are provided on one side of the side walls 11 a-d only. The flaps 13 a-d comprise interlocking features. Two of the flaps 13 a, 13 c comprise as interlocking features a base part 131 and a tab 133. Two of the flaps 13 b, 13 d comprise as interlocking features outer tab parts 132, an aperture 134, and an inner tab part 136. These interlocking features cooperate in a known manner to form the front face 12. The tabs 133 are put through the apertures 134 so that adjacent the corners of the box, the inner tab parts 136 overlap the tabs 133, while the base part 131 overlaps the outer tab parts 132. Thus, the box 1 is assembled.

In one embodiment of the invention, no glue is used to hold the flaps 13 a-d together. Instead, the flaps 13 a-d are held together only by the interlocking nature of the interlocking features. In particular, the flaps 13 a-d are held together by the overlapping portions of the interlocking features, which would require deformation of the box 1 to disengage. Avoiding use of glue to hold the flaps 13 a-d together allows the box 1 to be disassembled and disposed of in a quicker, more efficient manner. In an alternative embodiment, the flaps 13 a-d are glued together instead of, or in addition to, using interlocking features as described above.

As mentioned above, the front face 12 has a window 15. In the embodiment seen in the Figures, this is achieved by providing flaps 13 a-d which are not tall enough to form a full wall when the box is assembled. For example, the height of the flaps 13 a-d may be at least 4 cm. Such flap size provides enough space for cutting out the interlocking features described above, and also provides sufficient support for another box which would be positioned on top of the box 1 in case the boxes are stored or transported positioned on top of each other. It also reinforces the side walls 11 a-d adjacent to the flaps 13 a-d, and allows only minimal bending of the side walls 11 a-d. In addition, such flap size is also beneficial during manufacture of the box blank, because it allows a single pass production through a standard case maker. In case of the height of the flaps 13 a-d being less than 4 cm, the blank would need to be die cut and glued, using two separate processes. Using two separate processes would increase the cost of production.

The size of the window 15 may be for example more than 10 cm across and may be more than 10 cm high. The window 15 is preferably sufficiently large to allow a hand of a worker to be placed through the window. The window may for example measure at least 10 cm in one direction. The purpose of the window 15 is explained below.

One example of the inner dimensions of the box 1 may be as follows. The height of the box 1 from its front face 12 to its rear face 16 is 225 mm. The height of the flaps 13 a-d is 40 mm. The width of two of the side walls 11 a and 11 c is 164 mm. The width of one of the other side walls 11 b is 219 mm. The width of the other side wall 11 d is 216 mm. The width of the flaps 13 a-d is 3 mm less than the width of the respective side walls 11 a-d to which the flaps are attached. The width of the tab 14 a is 30 mm. The box 1 with these dimensions forms a rectangular cuboid. While the side walls 11 b and 11 d are not of the same width, the overlap of the side wall 11 d with the tab 14 a provides sufficient width to form a 219 mm side wall when the box 1 is assembled.

The boxes 1 may come in various sizes, depending on the size and weight of the goods 5 stored inside the box 1. In practice, the maximum size of the box 1 may be determined by the size of an average supermarket shelf (e.g. 60 cm deep and 30 cm high).

The packaging may further comprise a tray 2. The tray 2 may be provided in order to support goods 5 in the box 1 during storage and transport, and to allow easy unpacking of the goods 5 (as explained below). The tray 2 is preferably made of plastic. For example, the tray may be made of rPET, or of any other suitable material. The tray 2 is manufactured by conventional methods, e.g. by pressing plastic sheets into moulds.

The tray 2 is shown schematically in FIGS. 3a, 3b . The tray 2 comprises a back wall 21, two lateral walls 22, 22, a front wall 23, and a bottom plate 24. The back wall 21 is inclined. When the tray 2 rests on a horizontal surface 4, the angle between the goods 5 positioned in the tray 2 and a vertical line (perpendicular to a horizontal surface 4 such as a shelf) may be greater than 0 degrees. In other words, the goods 5 may be inclined with respect to the vertical. For example, the inclination B of the goods 5 may be 7 degrees with respect to the vertical. The angle of 7 degrees is beneficial because it shows the best performance in supporting the goods 5, displaying the goods 5 (i.e. the visibility of the goods 5), and preventing the goods 5 from collapsing (falling forward or backwards) even when there is only one pack of the goods 5 left. Inclination of the goods between 6 degrees to 8 degrees with respect to the vertical shows still beneficial properties. More generally, inclination of the goods 5 between 5 degrees to 10 degrees may still be acceptable in some configurations.

To prevent the goods 5 from sliding forward, the bottom plate 24 may be provided with support ribs 24 a. To prevent the goods 5 from falling backwards, the back wall 21 may be higher than the front wall 23 when the tray 2 rests on the horizontal surface 4. The height of the back wall 21 together with the support ribs 24 a allow the goods 5 to be arranged in an inclined manner, as depicted in FIG. 3b . The support ribs 24 a may be provided on the bottom plate 24. They may span along the whole width of the bottom plate 24 of the tray 2, in which case they may be parallel with the back wall 21. Alternatively, the support ribs 24 a may be provided as pairs of protrusions, e.g. 1 cm long which project opposite each other from the side walls 22. In such a case, each pair of ribs supports one pack of the goods 5. Additionally or alternatively, support ribs may be provided as pairs of protrusions (not depicted) on the side walls 22, the protrusions being raised above the plate 24. Where this is done, an opposing pair of protrusions provided on opposing side walls 22 will support one package of the goods 5. The protrusions may be positioned relative to support ribs 24 a on the plate 24 such that they cause the goods 5 to adopt a desired angle (the position of the bottom of a goods is determined by the support ribs 24 a on the plate 24 and the position of a back surface of the goods is determined by the protrusions on the side walls 22). Desired angles are discussed above.

The back wall 21 being higher than the front wall 23, together with the support ribs 24 a, allow the goods to be more visible when the tray is placed on the shelf, and at the same time helps preventing the goods 5 from falling over (forward or backward). In other words, by using the tray 2, the display of the goods 5 is optimised, and all the items positioned between the front wall 23 and the back wall 21 of the tray 2 are displayed to be equally visible, prevented from collapsing at all times, falling over, etc. In particular, if the inclination B of the goods 5 is around 7 degrees with respect to the vertical, the item closest to the front wall 23 does not collapse (fall forward) during unpacking, the item closest to the back wall 21 does not collapse (fall backwards) during unpacking, and the item closest to the back wall 21 does not collapse (fall forward or backwards, or slide forward) once all other items are removed from the tray 2.

Such positioning of the goods 5 in the tray 2 does not require any further arranging of the goods 5 in the tray 2 after the goods 5 are unpacked, and therefore saves time of the worker who unpacks the goods. The process of unpacking the goods 5 is further described below.

The overall dimensions of the tray 2 are preferably such that the tray 2, when positioned in the box 1, fits within the box 1 in a way that the tray 2 does not move significantly in the box 1. In other words, the width and the length of the tray 2 are only slightly smaller than the width and length of the interior of the box 1. For example, the difference between the dimensions of the tray 2 and the box 1 may be 5 mm, or less than 5 mm. The height of the back wall 21 of the tray 2 may be less than approximately two thirds of the height of the box 1, and preferably around one half of the height of the box 1. Such height of the back wall 21 of the tray 2 helps preventing the goods 5 from collapsing (as described above), and is most economic because it saves material used to make the tray 2.

A tray 2 made of rPET material and having the above-described dimensions is sufficiently resilient to support the goods held therein, while not obscuring the goods 5, allowing easy access to the goods 5, and saving material.

The tray 2 may be particularly suitable to be used together with goods requiring flat packages, such as sliced cold meat, e.g. ham. The box 1 without the tray 2 may be used for more resilient packages such as juice containers.

The packaging further comprises a plastic film 6. The plastic film 6 may be made of pre-stretch film, for example pre-stretch LDPE, and in particular pre-stretch LLDPE. Pre-stretch film is a film which is pre-stretched during manufacture, and can be stretched further by e.g. approx. 15% at the time it is being applied to a load (e.g. the box 1). This allows a precise tension to be applied during application of the film, and thus allows controlled retention of the goods 5 (possibly positioned within the tray 2) within the box 1. The retraction force applied by the pre-stretch film prevents or inhibits movement (deformation) of the box 1 and the goods 5. In other words, when applied to the box 1, the film maintains its tension, fastens around the box 1, and retains the box 1 without deforming it.

The thickness of the pre-stretch LDPE film may be between 5 μm and 9 μm, preferably around 7 μm, for example 7 μm. The pre-stretch LDPE film having thickness between 5 μm and 9 μm shows the best properties, in particular in terms of ability to stretch. In particular, pre-stretch LDPE film which is thicker than 9 μm may show greater stretch ability and therefore may not provide enough tension to large, heavy boxes to retain the goods (where heavy boxes may mean e.g. heavier than 30 kg). On the other hand, pre-stretch LDPE film which is thinner than 5 μm may show minimal stretch and reduced strength under tension. Film which is thinner than 5 μm may therefore be suitable only for light boxes (where light boxes may mean e.g. lighter than 100 g). Thus, film with a thickness up to 9 μm may be used and film with a thickness of at least 5 μm may be preferred.

Using the pre-stretch film as described above is beneficial for the following reasons. The pre-stretch film is quick and easy to apply and remove, cheap, and fully recyclable. The pre-stretch film is about 10 times cheaper than the cardboard (corrugate) of which the box 1 is made (and more than 10 times cheaper than other materials that could be used to make the box 1). It also provides protection for the box 1 and/or the goods 5 stored in the box, because the film itself is waterproof and therefore prevents water (humidity) or dirt from entering the box 1 and damaging the goods 5 and/or soaking the material of the box 1. This is particularly beneficial if the box 1 is made of cardboard.

In an alternative embodiment, the film may be made of any other suitable plastic material with similar properties.

As a further alternative, the pre-stretch film may be replaced with one or more bands. The bands may be made e.g. from plastic, or from suitable elastic material such as rubber. In some embodiments, the bands may take form of straps or any other suitable retention means. Such retention means may be cheaper than the plastic film, but may not provide the environmental protection and structural integrity of the pre-stretched film as described above. Further, the goods are not enclosed by such retention means and this may allow the goods to be tampered with. Therefore, the bands are not particularly suitable for use with food or other items which should be held in tamper-proof packaging.

Referring to FIG. 5a , to package the goods 5, the tray 2 is loaded with the goods 5 (step S1′) and is then inserted into the box 1 through the opening in the rear face 16 (step S2′). The goods 5 are arranged into the tray 2 so that a front face of the goods 5 is facing the front wall 23 of the tray 2.

During insertion, the tray 2 is oriented with its front wall 23 facing the front face 12 of the box 1. In this way, the front/upper face of the goods 5 is visible through the window 15. This is especially beneficial during transport and handling of the boxes 1. As the content of the box 1 can be seen through the window 15, there is no need for printing on the box 1 or putting any kind of labels on the box 1. This simplifies handling of the boxes, avoids labelling mistakes, and saves costs.

Once the tray 2 is positioned in the box 1, the plastic film 6 is wrapped around the box 1 (step S3′). The process of wrapping the box 1 in the plastic film 6 may be conventional, e.g. as described in patent applications published under WO9009316, WO2006051281, WO2011004157, WO2015025142 or WO2015067940. In particular, the box 1 may be wrapped helically with the plastic film 6. As the box 1 is wrapped, more than one layer of the film may cover the wrapped areas of the box 1. With the helically wrapped box, successive layers of the film overlap. The number of layers of the overlapping film in case the box 1 is wrapped helically may depend on the material and/or thickness of the plastic film 6 and on the size and weight of the goods 5 which are stored in the box 1. The number of layers could be determined based on the known properties (such as strength) of the plastic film 6.

The film may be for example 250 mm wide, 125 mm wide, or of any other suitable width. A single layer of the pre-stretch film with minimal overlap is sufficient for light to medium weights, i.e. for boxes weighing less than 10 kg. Typically the film overlaps are between 20-100 mm, depending on the weight of the box. At any single point on the wrapped box 1, there may be one or two layers of the film. For boxes weighing more than 15 kg, for example between 15 kg to 25 kg, three layers of the film may be used. Therefore, boxes weighing between 100 g-25 kg can be wrapped. For example, if 7 μm thick pre-stretch LDPE film is used, 1-3 layers are sufficient to hold the goods 5 weighing up to approx. 20 kg in the box 1, even if the box 1 is turned with its rear face 16 facing downwards. In practice, due to legislative limitations, the weight of the boxes 1 may be limited to e.g. 15 kg or 9 kg. As mentioned, 1-2 layers of the pre-stretch film are sufficient for such boxes.

Before the film is wrapped around the box 1, the film is pre-stretched, i.e. tension is created in the film by stretching it in a longitudinal direction. When the film is wrapped around the box 1, it un-stretches (shrinks) and tightens around the box 1.

During the process of wrapping the box 1 in the plastic film 6, the film may be perforated on at least one side of the box 1. The perforations 6 a are created during packaging process, when the stretched (tensioned) film passes over a fixed perforation wheel (not shown) when the box 1 is being wrapped in the plastic film 6. The perforation wheel may have a shark-tooth design. A heated bar is used to melt and thereby cut the film after the box has been wrapped. Melting which occurs at the end of the film provides a lip which extends across an end of the perforations and inhibits tearing along the perforations (thereby minimising the chances of the perforations tearing spontaneously.

The perforations 6 a form a preferred line of opening the plastic film 6. The perforations 6 a are preferably provided along the whole length of one of the sidewalls 11 a-d. As the forces created from film tensioning at wrapping are at 90° to the line of perforation, the plastic film 6 does not break open prematurely. Minimal effort from a worker is required to tear along the line of perforation in store (the melted lip of film can be torn easily). As the film tears easily along the perforations 6 a under force exerted by the worker, the perforations 6 a simplify the unwrapping process, thus making it quicker and more efficient. The perforations 6 a also eliminate the need for any tools such as knives, therefore reducing risk of injury and further reducing costs.

The film used for wrapping the box 1 may be e.g. the pre-stretch LDPE film having thickness of 5 μm to 9 μm as described above. Use of such pre-stretch LDPE film is beneficial because such film shows advantageous stretch properties. Pre-stretch LDPE film having thickness of 7 μm is particularly beneficial because of its optimal stretch properties. The pre-stretch LDPE film of the above-described thickness, i.e. 5 μm to 9 μm, and more particularly 7 μm, provides the box 1 with increased structural integrity without the need to use a heat tunnel to make the film shrink. The pre-stretch LDPE film exerts force (pressure) on the edges of the box 1, thus holding it together and preventing it from collapsing (as described below). LDPE is also advantageous because it is fully recyclable.

With thickness of the pre-stretch LDPE film as described above, the force exerted by the film is sufficient to hold the box 1 together during handling and transport. In particular, pressure can be applied to a pair of opposite edges or corners of the box 1 during transport and handling due to improper positioning, rough handling, etc. In the absence of the plastic film 6, this pressure would bring the edges or corners of the box 1 closer together, while the other pair of edges or corners would move further apart from each other. The flaps 13 a-d, and the interlocking features 131, 133, 132, 134, 136 could be deformed enough to disengage. In such a case, the box 1 would disassemble. The plastic film 6, and in particular the pre-stretch LDPE film as described above, exerts similar or equal forces to all edges or corners. The film strengthens the box 1. The film increases the structural rigidity of the box 1. Therefore, the adjacent walls forming the respective edge or corner are prevented from accidentally moving too far from their normal interlocked position. (Too far means so far that the interlocking features 131, 133, 132, 134, 136 disengage.) The interlocking features 131, 133, 132, 134, 136 therefore do not disengage, and the box 1 does not disassemble. This applies to a box 1 with weight up to 25 kg. Therefore, there is no need to use glue to attach the flaps 13 a, 13 b together to prevent the box 1 from disassembling. In this way, the costs of glue are saved, and the box 1 is easier and quicker to disassemble and dispose of. Further, the LDPE film is fully recyclable, which is beneficial from an environmental point of view.

Apart from the above described effect of providing the box 1 with rigidity, the plastic film 6 also covers the openings of the box 1, and thus retains the product within the case. At the same time, the goods 5 stored in the box 1 according to the present invention are more visible (compared to a conventional enclosed box where the product is only identifiable via a label containing text or barcode). The box 1 wrapped in the plastic film 6 allows an easy visual verification of the contents of the box 1 to take place. Picking errors can be reduced regardless of whether the picker has the ability or proximity to read the text. Additionally, the plastic film 6 helps to protect the box 1 and/or the goods 5 from the environment.

Any equivalent material to the pre-stretch LDPE film may be used, provided it has similar properties to that of the pre-stretch LDPE film of the above-given thickness. In particular, if the film stretches less than a 5 μm thick pre-stretch LDPE film, or more than a 9 μm thick pre-stretch LDPE film, it may be unsuitable for some applications.

The plastic film 6 may be wrapped around the box 1 in only one direction, so as to completely cover the front face 12, two opposing side walls 11 a, 11 c and the rear face 16. In this way, two of the side walls 11 b, 11 d stay uncovered or substantially uncovered by the plastic film 6. If the pre-stretch film (e.g. LDPE film) is used, it may also cover the edges and the corners of the side walls 11 b. Parts of the side walls 11 b may be covered by untensioned, loose film 6 b. Such untensioned portions 6 b are preferably less than 5 cm wide.

The strongest parts of the conventional box are its edges and corners. A conventional cubic or cuboid box needs 12 edges (places where two walls of the box meet) to be sufficiently strong, in particular during travelling or handling. Otherwise there is a risk of failure of one or more walls, or the entire box. However, this is not the case with the box 1 of the invention. With the box 1 wrapped in the pre-stretch LDPE film in 1-3 layers as described above, i.e. with the front face 12 (including the window 15) and the rear face 16 covered, the box 1 can be positioned resting on the rear face 16 during transport, without risk of the goods 5 falling out, and without risk of the box 1 disassembling. Positioning the box 1 on the rear face 16 during transport is advantageous, because the contents of the box 1 can be immediately seen through the window 15 in the front face 12.

Because the edges of the box 1 are stronger than the walls 11 a-d, it is beneficial for the box 1 to rest so that all four edges between walls 11 a-d are positioned perpendicular to the surface on which the box 1 rests. In this way, a plurality of boxes 1 can be stored stacked on top of each other, without the risk that one of the sidewalls 11 a-d would bend and/or collapse.

Further, the goods 5 can be positioned so as to lay flat during transport and handling. This is particularly beneficial with goods such as sliced cooked meats and other sliced items (or, more generally, thin non-resilient items). If these are transported in conventional cases upright, the sliced meat can slide down during transit. However, with the box 1 as described above, which allows the goods 5 to be laid flat during transport and handling, the product position within the primary pack is retained. This provides an improved display at point of sale.

As mentioned above, the plastic film 6 may protect the cardboard from environment, and in particular from moisture. As a consequence, thinner (and thus cheaper) cardboard may be used.

The plastic film 6 may be wrapped around the box 1 in two different directions, thus covering the walls 11 a-d, the front face 12 and the rear face 16. Enclosing the whole box 1 with the plastic film 6 provides the box 1 with extra structural integrity, and protects the box 1 against environment, e.g. rain, humidity etc. Enclosing the whole box 1 with plastic film 6 also increases security. With the box 1 completely covered in the plastic film 6, it is easier to detect tampering. However, it also increases the amount of the film used.

During unpacking of the goods, a worker locates the perforations 6 a in the plastic film 6 on the side of the pack (step S1). The film is then gripped and broken by pulling it apart along the perforations 6 a (step S2). The film is removed from the box (step S3). The worker subsequently places his hand (or, alternatively, any suitable tool) through the window 15 in the front face 12 of the box 1 (step S4), and pushes the tray 2 containing the goods 5 through the rear face 16 (step S5) and onto a shelf. The box 1 is then disassembled and flattened by pressing on a pair of the opposing edges, and can be easily and quickly disposed of.

In this way, all the goods 5 stored in the box 1 may be positioned directly on the shelf. There is no need for unpacking the goods 5 one by one and arranging them, because the goods 5 are pushed out of the box 1 contained in the tray 2, facing the right direction, ready to be displayed, with no need for any further processing. This provides a significant time saving. The easy way of disassembling the box 1 once it is empty further saves time and makes the process more efficient.

Further, the packaging according to the present invention allows the retailer to take the box 1 completely away from the goods 5 when the goods 5 are shelved. This increases the visual appeal of the goods 5, in particular in case of chilled & frozen foods, because the box 1 could become soggy or moldy.

The more efficient process of unpacking and disposing of the box means that this process is less expensive. It requires less time of a worker to shelf the goods, arrange them in a required way (e.g. attractive for the customers), and dispose of the used box. If frozen goods are carried in the box, saving time also reduces the need for having freezer open for sufficient time to arrange the goods, which saves energy.

The tray may serve as a holder of the goods suitable for their displaying, thus eliminating the need for any additional holders or additional arrangements provided for displaying the goods in a more attractive way. This saves time required for unpacking and arranging the goods, and it also saves material (holder) costs.

The above described example of the box 1, i.e. the box 1 which has an empty rear face 16 and a front face 12 with 4 cm wide flaps 13 a-d and a corresponding opening, is the most cost-effective configuration of the box 1. Such box, together with the plastic film 6, provides sufficient resiliency to hold and protect the goods 5 inserted into the box 1, while also using minimum possible amount of cardboard. As explained above, the plastic film is cheaper than cardboard. Therefore, replacing a conventional, fully enclosed cardboard box with a partly open box 1, reinforced by plastic film 6, is beneficial from a cost perspective.

The box 1 as described above, with rPET tray 2 and pre-stretch LDPE film wrapping, is beneficial also from environmental point of view. Pre-stretch LDPE film, as well as rPET, is 100% recyclable. The packaging is light and its volume is small; this saves transportation costs and fuel. 

1-18. (canceled)
 19. A packaging system for goods, comprising: a box for holding the goods, the box having four side walls, a front face and a rear face; wherein the front face comprises a wall provided with a window; wherein the rear face comprises an opening; wherein the packaging system further comprises either (i) a plastic film wrapped around the box, the plastic film covering the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retaining the goods within the box; or (ii) at least one band placed around the box, the at least one band being placed around the box so as to encircle the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retain the goods within the box; and wherein the opening in the rear face is configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls and after the plastic film or the at least one band has been removed.
 20. The packaging system as in claim 19, wherein the rear face opening extends fully to the side walls of the box.
 21. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the rear face opening is defined by the side walls of the box.
 22. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein a lip projects partially across the rear face opening from a side wall of the box, the lip being configured to deflect outwardly when goods are being pushed out of the box.
 23. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the rear face opening extends across more than 70% of the area of the rear face.
 24. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the box is made of cardboard.
 25. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the film is a pre-stretch film.
 26. The packaging system of claim 19, wherein the packaging further comprises a tray adapted to support the goods, and wherein when the packaging is assembled, the tray is located in the box.
 27. The packaging system of claim 26, wherein the tray is made of plastics.
 28. The packaging system as in claim 27, wherein the tray is made from rPET.
 29. The packaging system as in claim 26, wherein the tray comprises a back wall and a bottom plate, and wherein the back wall is configured to be inclined with respect to a horizontal surface which supports the tray.
 30. The packaging system as in claim 19, wherein the rear face of the box is completely open.
 31. A packaging method using a box and either a plastic film, or at least one band, the box having four side walls, a front face comprising a window, and a rear face comprising an opening, the opening in the rear face being configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls, the method comprising positioning the goods in the box through the rear face opening so that the goods face the opening in the front face of the box; and either (i) wrapping the box in at least one layer of the plastic film so that the plastic film at least partially covers the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retains the goods within the box, or (ii) placing the at least one band around the box so that the at least one band encircles the front face and the rear face of the box and thereby retains the goods within the box.
 32. The packaging method of claim 31, wherein the plastic film is provided with perforations along one of the side walls of the box.
 33. The packaging method of claim 31, wherein the goods are stored in a tray.
 34. The packaging method of claim 31, wherein the tray is made of plastic.
 35. A method of unpacking goods from a package formed of a box and either a plastic film or at least one band, wherein the goods are positioned inside the box, the box having four side walls, a front face comprising a wall provided with a window, and a rear face comprising an opening, the opening in the rear face being configured to allow the goods to be pushed out of the box through the opening when the box is resting on one of its side walls, wherein either (i) the plastic film has been wrapped around the box, and the plastic film comprises perforations along one of the side walls, or (ii) the at least one band has been placed around the box; the method comprising: locating the perforations and breaking the film by pulling the film apart along the perforations and removing the film from the box, or cutting the band, placing a hand or a tool through the window in the front face, pushing the goods through the opening in the rear side of the box.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the goods are stored in a tray, and wherein the method comprises pushing the tray containing the goods through the rear face opening of the box. 